Conventional interfaces between a computer or a game station and a user are typically a keyboard, a computer mouse, a joystick or a game pad that has a number of control buttons. With the increasing popularity of mobile phones, smart phones and mini computers, the use of conventional interfaces may become inconvenient. There is a need for a more convenient and reliable way to enter and manipulate data in a device such as a computer, play station or phone, especially for non-stationary applications.
The prior art describes wearable devices that can be attached to a hand. These devices are configured to determine a position of fingers. For example U.S. Pat. No. 7,092,785 describes a computer input device, which has a sensor unit placed in the palm of the hand and an upper unit placed behind the knuckles of the hand and connected with the sensor unit. The sensor unit comprises sensors with transducers that are in operative engagement with the fingers. The sensor comprises a position sensor, which is associated with an electrical sign displayed on a screen, such as a letter or word on a computer screen. Bending and stretching of the fingers affects the transducers and causes the sensor to indicate a new value, which in turn may result in a new sign on the screen. A logic unit is in operative engagement with a computer device and configured to generate a position signal based on the registered finger position and to interpretate and convert the signal into a command to be processed by the computer device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,796,354 describes a device comprising a glove based assembly, whereby the sensing device is comprised in the palm of the hand for detecting directional movement of the user's hand relative to the user's arm.
US 2009/03226734 discloses a wearable device whereby the sensors comprise LED or laser light and corporate with a lens system, whereby angles of light that reflected from the surface under the hand is used for measuring changes in position of the fingers. The device may comprise a second sensor, which senses the position of the device on the surface under the hand. This sensor functions similar to existing optical mouse sensors and is used by the device to interpret the position of the pointer on the display.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,374 discloses a wearable device comprising separate emitters that cooperate with several detectors, which together are used to measure movements of the fingers. This device does not allow for the registration of three dimensional movements of fingers and hands simultaneously.
There is a need for an improved device that can be used for virtual data input, whereby the signals from the fingers and hand can be displayed faster and with more accuracy compared to the known devices.